First day of school for everyone except Callum!
Eleanor had half-days the first week of school, so she, Amanda, and Callum went to Tracy Aviary as a belated birthday present (she got the binoculars for her birthday):
Posing with the peacock in the background:
On our way to watch the BYU women's soccer game against Cal State Northridge:
Trying to hold onto the last bits of summer, we rushed out to Bald Mountain near Mirror Lake in the Western Uintas after school on a Friday in early September. The trail is short (not even 2 miles to the top), but being just a few feet shy of 12,000 feet in elevation, the view is ridiculously awesome. We were trying to time things so we could be at the top at sunset:
The littlest mountain goat:
Starting to worry we might miss the whole sunset show (Mirror Lake straight below with several 12,000 foot peaks behind):
Making the ridge traverse to the summit plateau (the wide-angle shots make things look much spookier than they are):
The final staircase to the top (cell pic):
We got to enjoy some last rays of sunset while we ate our sandwiches:
Friendly passerby took a picture of all of us in the fading light:
We were about to leave the summit when the guy who took our picture pointed out that the full moon was about to rise. All I had was the wide-angle lens, which doesn't do it justice, but it was pretty neat. The surprisingly bright full moon made the descent easy even without the headlamps and flashlights we had brought:
Claire has decided to join the orchestra! She goes to the junior high early on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings for practice and then takes the bus to her elementary school:
Max rocking his new axolotl shirt on his birthday:
His axolotl cupcakes:
At Max's baptism the next day:
Having a picnic dinner at Lake Mary (one of our new favorite family hikes—didn't take the "nice" camera on this hike):
Here's Ailie playing in her volleyball game before conference (she's on the far right in the back). She says she especially enjoyed volleyball because everyone was also just learning:
That afternoon we drove the Alpine Scenic Loop while listening to conference:
We timed things so that we arrived to hike to Lower Timpanogos Falls right as the session ended:
Captain Camouflage:
Evening hikes are always the best:
First waterfall:
Not as many leaves had changed as we had expected, but still some impressive colors:
Lower Timpanogos Falls:
RIP, lens cap that I dropped in the stream right here:
Spotted this momma moose and her two babies while trying to recover it:
Seems like a good spot to stop and read:
A fun concoction Callum was found to be working on in the backyard using the nice kitchen shears... and the sidewalk chalk on one of mom's new plates:
The kids with Amanda at Jaker's in Springville:
During Fall break (later in October), I hiked to the summit of Gobbler's Knob with my coworker Michael (who is being moved to Tooele Seminary at the end of the semester 😩). We wanted to catch the aspens in their splendor. That's Kessler Peak, Eric—that last summit we did last summer:
Things getting brighter:
First rays of sun catching the golden leaves:
Nearly to the top:
Summit panorama!
The gold and blue are extra brilliant next to each other:
Then the next day we took the whole family to the Ogden Canyon Overlook with the Carters:
View from the top of the overlook:
That's right, drink in the kool-aid... the views are always worth it...
The littlest hiker rode most of the way up, but sure-footedly made the way down on his own (with a little help from a brother and a sister):
At Claire's last soccer game of the season. How Max spends his time at soccer games (Wings of Fire, book 15):
Claire's team took first in their division this season! She scored the last two goals in this game 😎🎉⚽️:
Because Ailie's been enjoying volleyball we went to see the BYU women's volleyball team absolutely smack down Gonzaga (I helped with this cougar tail):
On a different night, Claire, Amanda and I went to the football game versus ECU. I helped with this cougar tail, too:
Trick-r-treating with Buzz, Trunchbull, and Bruce Bogtrotter:
A wizard, a peacock, a koala, No Face, a fortune teller, and a raven:
Ailie made this sea turtle out of pipe cleaners. Callum thought it was very cool, so he got the Tupperware out of the kitchen, stole the sea turtle and the plant and put them in the container with some water. "It's my pet turtle, dad!" Sweet boy:
Ailie coloring on a birthday sketchpad with birthday markers while wearing a birthday Wings of Fire hoodie (to celebrate being 12, she went and did a short mission at the space center in Pleasant Grove with a group of friends):
A 15 second excerpt from "King Wenceslas" at Claire's first orchestra concert!:
Amanda's parents took us to The Little Mermaid at Hale. The kids loved it and the show was pretty visually exciting. Even Callum stayed in his seat and attentive for the whole play:
Thanksgiving dinner! Grandpa Bagley and Momma absolutely crushed cooking the turkey perfectly:
Very pleased and excited about the Christmas tree:
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